


Intrusion

by youcouldmakealife



Series: Impaired Judgment (and other excuses) [93]
Category: Original Work
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-17
Updated: 2019-07-17
Packaged: 2020-06-30 09:39:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,377
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19850485
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/youcouldmakealife/pseuds/youcouldmakealife
Summary: Jared has fucked up.





	Intrusion

American Thanksgiving means Christmas is coming. Jared didn’t really pay attention when he was stuffing himself with turkey and using Bryce as a drowsy pillow in front of the football game, his dad stoically pretending that maybe Bryce was an actual pillow or something, but he gets back to Edmonton and Christmas shit, which had already been rapidly encroaching since Halloween, is now _everywhere_. 

Like, even the locker room isn’t free of it, and the media team is trying and failing to convince Jared and Julius, as the two rookies, to be Christmas elves to Rogers as a brawny Oilers Santa — it ends up being Fitzgerald and Morris doing it, which fitting, at least in Fitzgerald’s case, because he’s the size of an elf. They get dumb Christmas jerseys the’ll have to warm up in for the game on the 23rd and Jared doesn’t even care how stupid it all is because he gets to go home for four whole days. Bring on Christmas.

Julius somehow convinces Jared to go to a mall to buy Christmas presents, and Jared for the first time — barring like, buying furniture for his apartment and writing a bunch of postdated cheques for the rent — actually spends some of the money that’s been accumulating so fast it’s ridiculous. His bank account balance is like, insane. It’s so much money, he couldn’t even spend it all if he tried. Not that he will. He’s not Bryce.

Still, it’s enough that he can splurge on everyone without feeling guilty about it. Apparently Julius is also in the mood to splurge, and they have to go back to Jared’s car twice, they pick up so much, Jared’s trunk and backseat full of presents for the Mathesons and Hallas, Bryce and Elaine and Julius’ girlfriend Noora. 

Jared’s absolutely wiped well before Julius is, and he’s maybe a little cranky about it, from Julius’ bossy, “Go get a smoothie and stop being a jerk.”

Jared feels better after a stop at Booster Juice — he was so tempted to hit up Orange Julius just to piss Julius off, but the better smoothie won — gets one last burst of shopping spirit when they hit the Bay, thankfully the final stop of the day. 

“I like this,” Julius says, stroking a finger over a sweater. 

“Yeah, it’s nice,” Jared says.

Julius gives him a speaking look. 

“Oh,” Jared says. “So — you’ll want that in extra small, right?”

He gets a sharp, extra small elbow right to the ribs for that, and then Julius finds himself very busy among the ties while Jared, rolling his eyes, goes to the nearest cash and buys it for him. At least that’s another person done, though he wasn’t even on Jared’s list, the presumptuous little shit.

*

“You look half-dead,” Bryce says, when Jared Skypes him after he gets home and sorts through the ridiculous amount of shit he bought. Somehow Erin’s pile is the biggest. Jared will have to change that.

“And here I was thinking you’d keep insisting I looked hot if I was on my death bed,” Jared says. “My confidence is shaken.”

“You do look hot, you just look tired too,” Bryce says, proving Jared right, because he can see his little face in the side window, and it _does_ look half-dead. Not a good look. “Did you get bag skated or something?”

“Worse,” Jared says. “I went Christmas shopping with Julius.”

Bryce’s face lights up. The word shopping tends to do that to him.

“I didn’t get you anything,” Jared says. “Not a thing.”

“Uh huh,” Bryce says. 

“Just Elaine,” Jared says. “Next time we play the Canucks I’m showering her with all the gifts I’m not getting you.”

“Fine with me,” Bryce says, and Jared knows he even means it. Dork. “She’s coming in for Christmas, though. She wanted me to ask if it was cool if we spent Christmas Day with the Mathesons? I mean, I forgot to actually ask you, but I’m assuming you’re going to want to spend Christmas here.”

“Yeah,” Jared says. “I’ll ask my folks, I’m sure they’ll be fine with it.”

“Um,” Bryce says. “Your mom already said they were happy to have us, but mom wanted to ask you if you were okay with that. And like, her staying in our guest room.”

Jared is not over the fact that Elaine and his mom talk behind his back. But whatever, they’re like, practically going to be related, he guesses. Mother-in-laws…in-law? Something like that.

“I mean, obviously I’m okay with both those things,” Jared says. 

“Cool,” Bryce says. “It’ll be good. Mom’s hyped about it.”

“I mean it’ll be good as long as my dad doesn’t like, passive aggressively give us lumps of coal for Christmas,” Jared says.

“They turn into diamonds,” Bryce says, voice bright, like he’s proud of knowing that.

“You have enough diamonds, Bryce,” Jared says. “More than enough diamonds.”

“No such thing,” Bryce says.

“I’m not getting you diamonds,” Jared says.

“You are my diamond,” Bryce says.

Jared swears he can feel his soul leave his body. “I’m hanging up on you.” 

Does it count as hanging up if it’s over Skype? Whatever, Jared will do it, because that’s what Bryce deserves.

“I’d deserve it,” Bryce says, like he’s read Jared’s mind, which is the only reason Jared _doesn’t_ hang up — Skype down? — on him.

*

Julius shows up at Jared’s with his laptop and a bag of delivery like, ten seconds after Jared ends his Skype session with Bryce, because apparently everyone in his life is reading his mind right now, Jared contentedly munches on his chicken and asparagus while he firms up Christmas stuff with his mom via text. She has a lot of Plans for Christmas. Jared’s not sure how he’s going to fit in all of them and sleep and nailing Bryce into the matttress in four days. He’d be worried about that last part not happening considering Elaine’s staying with them, but knowing her, she’ll strategically disappear at multiple points to better facilitate them getting laid. Elaine’s the best.

Julius has quit eating in favour of death-glaring at his laptop, and Jared peeks over his shoulder to see a frankly staggering estimate for expedited shipping to Finland.

“Holy shit,” Jared says.

“It costs more than the gifts,” Julius says, which is barely even an exaggeration.

“How many are you even shipping, like, all of them?” Jared asks. Shipping should not be four digits. Ever.

“There is no time to go home,” Julius says.

And yeah, four days is luxurious for Jared, what with a three hour drive each way, but it’s not even close to enough time to fit in a round trip to Oulu. 

“Your family isn’t coming?” Jared asks.

Julius shakes his head.

“What about Noora?” Jared asks.

Julius makes a face. “Her parents said no.”

“Isn’t she a grown ass adult?” Jared asks.

“She is not eighteen until January,” Julius says, which as timing goes is super shitty.

“That fucking sucks, man,” Jared says.

“Yeah,” Julius says, death glare replaced by something desperately sad. “You are going to Calgary?”

“Yeah,” Jared says, and before he can stop himself, “You want to come?”

*

Jared has fucked up.

“You _what_?” Bryce asks, voice very low, when Jared calls him after Julius leaves. He hugged him when he did, and the hug made Jared feel even more guilty.

“I didn’t mean to,” Jared says. “He just — the break’s not long enough for Julius to go home for Christmas, and his family can’t come, and his girlfriend’s parents won’t let her come, and when he asked me my Christmas plans he looked so _sad_ , and I just—”

“He’s on my rival fucking team, Jared!” Bryce says.

“I’m on your rival team too!” Jared says. “We don’t have to tell him, we can just—”

Jared doesn’t bother continuing the sentence, because he knows there’s absolutely zero way Julius won’t find out about them if he comes, unless Jared, what, stays at his parents and uninvites Bryce and Elaine from Christmas at the Mathesons? That scenario’s basically unthinkable, so. If Julius comes, Julius is going to find out exactly who Jared’s marrying.

Bryce hangs up on him. Bryce has never even jokingly threatened to hang up on him before, let alone actually done it.

Jared has fucked up so badly.

 _I’m really sorry._ , Jared texts, and isn’t at all surprised when Bryce doesn’t respond.

* 

Bryce calls him when he’s already running a little late for practice the next morning. Jared’s definitely going to be late if he picks up, especially if it turns into a fight, but he isn’t even thinking about that until he’s already hit ‘answer’, just wanting Bryce to talk to him, even if he’s pissed.

“Hi,” Jared says.

“I’m not making my mom stay at a hotel just because you invited Halla,” Bryce says. His tone’s not great, but it’s not a ‘he can’t come’, so Jared definitely isn’t going to complain.

“Of course not,” Jared says. “He can sleep on the couch, or like, I can ask my parents if he can stay in my old room when we come down. I mean — he can come, right?”

“Whatever,” Bryce mutters, which is a yes, albeit not an enthusiastic one.

“Thank you,” Jared says.

“It’s not like you really gave me a choice,” Bryce snaps.

Jared bites his tongue before he says something defensive, because he didn’t, at least not one that wouldn’t involve taking back his invitation, which would make both him and Bryce look like assholes. Bryce has a right to be pissed right now — even if there wasn’t the whole tangled thing of who knows and who doesn’t, Jared still invited someone to spend Christmas with them without asking him. Jared wouldn’t have been happy if Bryce invited some random Flame to stay with them. Chaz, sure, but then, he’s Jared’s friend too, and he’s known him for years. Bryce has never even met Julius.

“I’m sorry,” Jared says. “I really just — he was going to spend Christmas alone, Bryce, and —”

“I get it,” Bryce says. “Doesn’t mean I’m not pissed.”

“I know,” Jared says. “At least he’s like, the least demanding guest ever? He’ll probably just sit on the couch and text the whole time.”

“You know that’s not the problem,” Bryce says.

“I know,” Jared repeats. “Did I mention I was sorry?”

“Yes,” Bryce says, clipped.

“Because I’m really sorry,” Jared says.

“You said that,” Bryce says.

“Really, really sorry,” Jared says. “Have I mentioned you’re the best fiancé in the world?”

“Stop,” Bryce says, but Jared absolutely will not, because he can hear the tiniest edge of a smile in his voice. “You better be right about trusting him.”

“I am,” Jared says. “He’ll be cool, okay? I promise. I love you?”

“You can’t just say ‘I love you’ and make things cool, Jared,” Bryce says.

“I’m just saying it because I do,” Jared says. “And maybe a little bit because it makes you smile.”

Bryce snorts, but Jared can tell the edge of a smile’s wider now.

“I am sorry,” Jared says. “I just. I thought of how I’d feel if I was halfway across the world from you and my family, and it just — it’d fucking suck, you know? And I didn’t want to leave him in Edmonton alone.”

Bryce blows out a breath.

“Plus he’d have to meet you eventually,” Jared says, “Considering he like, bribed his way to an invite to our wedding.”

“You would have gotten a goal anyway,” Bryce says.

“Oh no, he was feeding me constantly that night,” Jared says. “He had a plan, and that plan was to go to our wedding.”

“And your goals since then?” Bryce asks, “He getting extra invites or something?”

“Maybe,” Jared says. There’s a knock on his door then, sharp and displeased.

“Julius is at the door,” Jared says, and Bryce sighs, sounding pissed again. “I was supposed to meet him at the car like ten minutes ago — we’ve got practice.”

“You didn’t have to pick up,” Bryce says.

“Yeah, I did,” Jared says. “I’ll call you after practice?”

“I’ve got a stupid phone meeting with Dave,” Bryce says. “I guess I’ll have to tell him Halla’s on the list of people who know.”

“Call me after,” Jared says, and then, at his door, which is _very loud_ , “Fucking wait, Halla!”

“I’ll let you go,” Bryce says.

“I love you,” Jared says, and Bryce says it back, at least.

“We’re late,” Julius says, scowling furiously at him when Jared opens the door.

“I know, I’m sorry,” Jared says. “C’mon.”

“I was talking to my fiancé,” he says when they’re in the car, and holy shit is Julius’ face judgy, all, ‘talking to your fiancé is not an acceptable reason to be late’. Jared would be annoyed, but honestly, he’d think the same thing if it was anyone else using the same excuse, and he may know the extenuating circumstances, but Julius doesn’t, and no way is Jared telling him.

“His mom is staying in our guest room while you’re there,” Jared says. “Would you be cool with the couch? Or like, my parents would be cool with you staying at their place, and we’re spending most of our time there anyway.”

A tiny ugly part of him wants Julius to blanch at that, because even though Bryce has agreed he can come, he knows it’s going to be tense, but like — his face was _so sad_ , and he _hugged Jared_ for inviting him. Jared would probably be depressed all Christmas, imagining Julius sitting alone in his apartment, or reluctantly going to one of their teammates’ for a like, ‘everyone who is sad and lonely this Christmas, come for dinner’ thing. Jared thinks Rogers is having one, but didn’t pay much attention thanks to the actually going home thing.

“Couch is fine,” Julius says. “I can get a hotel?”

“Whatever you want, bud,” Jared says.

“Couch is fine,” Julius repeats.

“Okay,” Jared says. “The thing about my fiancé—”

Julius looks over at him when he doesn’t continue.

“He—” Jared says.

Julius keeps looking at him.

“He’s excited to finally meet you,” Jared says weakly.

“Me too,” Julius says.

“Great,” Jared says, feeling only dread.


End file.
